Something happens. A news is born. It proliferates in earthly space and time getting altered all the way. Often the same story has different versions. This was so long before the advent of telephone or wireless technology, showing how potent is the word of mouth. My grandmother used to say one (hen-) feather would produce seven (hen-) feathers. (Eka kikili pihattak pihatu hathak venawa.)
As news spreads it generates news about the news. The process follows ad infinitum. Men begin to talk not so much about the original news but about its progeny. Take for example the case of Ven. Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thera. Its original version relates to the incident where the venerable Thera openly hurled threats verbal and more at an innocent lady, the wife of Prageeth Ekneligoda who was subjected to involuntary disappearance.
At first the talk was about the Thera’s conduct. Then the subject changed to his arrest and detention. It was followed by talk about his incarnation and legal proceedings. Latest are attempts to seek a Presidential reprieve for him. Forgotten by many is the reason for the original news, his conduct in open Court. Few dare to go beyond and analyze why he behaved so. They are content with believing or spreading what somebody else says.
Fourth State
News is a formidable weapon for its effect could be immediate. It is told that news flies. In this age of digital communications with the ubiquitous cell-phone it is still more so. At present the Fourth State is a powerful as the Political State. That is why no modern war cannot be won without the assistance of the media.
Technology is not the simple reason. We have seen that how the Vietnamese overran the French and American armies with more sophisticated and powerful weaponry. Today the Fourth Estate is as powerful as the political State. That is why no modern war cannot be won without the assistance of the media. Hence, the birth of embedded journalism.
Even the word of mouth is a potent weapon. That is why “gossiping: is made an offence under extra-ordinary circumstances. Even during normal times hate speech could cause an explosion more lethal than a Neutron bomb.
The latest addition to the news family is fake news. Our media is quite competent and vibrant. It never misses news, including fake news. It is a mirror of Sri Lankan politics. The much talked about story of poisoning the participants in the so-called “siege of Colombo” turned out really to be a fake. It is in reporting Economy and politics that our media has met its Achilles heel. Perhaps it is partly because nothing much is happening in both economic and political spheres except the production of attitudes and platitudes.
In this atmosphere the media void is filled by ‘fly in the wall’ type of reporting with ample livid gossip. As a result, serious and in-depth analysis is thrown overboard. Let us take a few examples to understand the nature of our media, including that of its readers/viewers.
Prominently flashed in the media was a comment on the National Police Commission (NPC) made by our eminent legal counsel and brilliant academic Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Minister of Higher Education and Cultural Affairs. He said that it was like a Home for the Aged. Perhaps our minister would have forgotten that some of these old men and women were nominees of the President, Prime Minister or the Speaker – the highest three public men in office under who he serves as a minister. Among them was also a lady that holds a very high office in the United Nations. How many could have taken the honourable minster’s opinion as authentic? The NPC reacted to the irreverence with dignity and decorum befitting such an august body in saying and showing that it was successfully coping up and performing duties assigned to it.
Political animals
Paraphrasing Gramsci we could say that all Sri Lankans are political animals. Yet how many among them are rational. For example, many parents believe that the success of their offspring at examinations depends on supernatural or divine grace. It is as if the Buddha or Jesus or Mohamed has been appointed the Commissioner General of Examinations. Or they believe wearing a talisman would ward off all evil. One could see many politicians wearing thick arm-bands as amulets.
The irrationality is supplemented by ignorance. For example, several Ministers blamed the NPC for not dismissing the present IGP. Some even blamed the Prime Minister. Little did they know that the NPC has no legal power to do so. It is the appointing authority, i.e., the President who could do so except the Parliament under special provisions. It is the media’s responsibility to fight this ignorance. Same with any other issue such as human rights. The latter is an evolving entity. As man progressed through savagery towards the present civilization so was human rights conceptualized and practiced. Hence it is retrogressive to go back to the ancient times or the Fifth Century BC. We should not include clauses in the new Counter Terrorism Act that could lead to torture of suspects. Neither reference to the teachings of the Buddha, Jesus or Prophet Mohamed could justify it. Also hilarious is sighting the West as an example by some communal minded or fascist groups whose very existence is based on an anti-Western radicalism.
Statistics or in most cases the way of introducing them leads to ignorance. The miniature is blown and the normal is camouflaged. For example, an event such as the building of a 20x20 class-room complexing a solitary remote school would eclipse the lack of toilets in 90 percent of schools in an area. On a bigger plane the construction of highways and expressways is glorified with no concern for the disruption and inconvenience they cause among the affected population. His does not mean that such development should not be undertaken. But due social and environmental costs should be considered and re-planting of the displaced in a modern environment with health, education and trade facilities should accompany such development.
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